Riverside
Police Department
Press Release

For Immediate Release

Date

August 04, 2002

Contact

Sergeant V. Williams

Phone

(909) 351-6099

Fax

(909) 351-6038

Barricaded Suspect Arrested for Threats
and False Imprisonment

Riverside, Ca- On 8-04-02 at 10:54 am,
officers from the Riverside Police Department were dispatched to 4856 Park Ave.
A female reported that her 21-year old ex-boyfriend was threatening to kill
their two-year old son if she refused to come to his house.

When officers arrived at the house the suspect refused to exit the house,
yelling to the officers that they would have to kill him. Shortly into the
negotiations with the suspect, his teenage brother emerged from the house
holding the couple's unharmed two-year old child. The teenage brother told
officers that another ten-year old child was still inside the house. Telephone
communication with the suspect was initiated and he refused to allow the
ten-year old boy out of the house.

The suspect continued to refuse requests by officers to exit the house or to
allow the ten-year old to exit. Several times he exited and stood in the yard
motioning as if he was reaching for a weapon while taunting for the officers to
shoot him before re-entering the house. The suspect eventually exited to the
front yard and was distracted by the firing of a less lethal device. Officers
concealed near the porch rushed him and took him into custody.

The ten-year old brother of the suspect was located unharmed inside the
residence. The two-year old was reunited with his mother. No injuries to
officers or the suspect were reported during the incident.

The suspect, Elio Cesar Muniz 21 years old, was booked into the Riverside
County Jail on the charge of 422 PC, 237a PC, 273aPC and 148PC.